Oil gauge rod wiper



April 1942- M. A. DE WlTT OIL GAUGE ROD WIPER Filed July 16, 1940 Fig: .5

INVENTOR Myrtle H. De LUZl-ZZ Patented Apr. 7, 1942 I 'lfQ'F-FICFE i i This invention relates generally to engine equipment, and in particular is directed to an improved oil gauge rod.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an oil gauge rod which includes in unitary assembly therewith, a wiping assembly arranged so that when the oil gauge rod is withdrawn from the engine crank-case, the wiping assembly may be manually reciprocated to wipe the rod free (of oil preparatory to reinserting the rod intothe crankcase to determine the oil level therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide an oil gauge rod including a wiping assembly movable along the rod, said assembly havingopposed spring fingers engaging the rod at an angle, and functioning as the wiping elements.

Another objectof the invention is to provide an oil gauge rod, as in the preceding paragraph, wherein the spring fingers serve as means to frictionally secure the oil gauge rod in the port of the engine block. A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as willfully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the invention as applied to a fiat oil gauge rod, and shown as normally engaged in the port of an engine block.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the oil gauge rod with the wiping assembly as advanced to the lower end of said rod; such wiping assembly being shown in section.

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a cross section of Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is an elevation of a modified form of the wiping assembly as modified for use in connection with a round oil gauge rod.

Figure 6 is a sectional elevation on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, and particularly at present to Figs. 1-4 inclusive, numeral I indicates an oil gauge rod of the fiat type formed at its upper end with a suitable handle 2. At its lower end the rod I is bent to form a laterally projecting stop element 3.

The wiping assembly is slidably mounted on rod taken on line 44 in the crank case, the oil 1 between handle 2 andstoplelement 3, and comprises the following: 1 I

A sleeve 4 of substantial length surrounds the rod I in slidable relation thereto; the bore 5 of said sleeve being of a diameter only'slightly greater than the width of flat rod I, except that adjacent its upper end said bore is enlarged for the reception of a-guide bushing G-having opposed vertical slots I cut therein and in which the edges of rod I engage.

Apair of relatively'lcng opposed spring fingers 8,'of spring metal or 'similar 'material, engage opposed faces of the rod I at spaced points; said spring fingers being longitudinally concave relative to said rod, and of substantially the saine width. The upper fingers project into spring fingers being engaged intermediate their ends and held under :compression by the sleeve at the lower end of the "bore, and the uppermost "point of engagement of the fingers with the rod being in-said bore. The spring fingers beyond said uppermost point of engagement with rod I are formed with outwardly and upwardly curving extensions 9-whose outer ends rest againstan annular face III formed 'in th'e bottom of the enlargedbportion of bore '5, such face sloping inwardly and downwardly as :shown. A compression gasket or washer I I is disposed between the lower end of guide bushing 6 and face I0; the finger extensions 9 beingfirmly engaged between said gasket and face. Flexible washers I2 and I3 of felt or the like are fitted on rod I immediately above and below sleeve 4 and serve as cushion stops, and also prevent oil from gaining access to the exterior of sleeve 4 which serves as a handle.

In use, the oil gauge rod and included wiping assembly are normally disposed in the positionshown in Fig. 1; the spring fingers 8 frictionally engaging in the usual oil gauge rod port I4 in engine block I5; the rod I being advanced through said port as far as possible and washer I3 being closely engaged between sleeve 4 and block I5.

When it is desired to test the level of the oil gauge rod is withdrawn from port I 4.- Thereafter, the sleeve I 4 is grasped in the fingers of one hand and advanced toward the normally lower end of the rod I until spring fingers 8 engage stop element 3. As the spring fingers 8 at their ends frictionally engage rOd I on both faces and at an angle thereto, they effectively wipe all the oil therefrom with downward movement of the wiping assembly, thus cleaning endportions of said spring the bore 5 of'sleeve 4; the,

present and the rod, as is desired; The wiping assembly is then retracted to its uppermost limit of move- 8 to bow outwardly to a somewhat greater extent.

In the modification of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the wiping assembly is embodied In this embodiment the same sleeve 8, and finger holding the type of wiping assembly but here the lower ends of spring fingers 8 are formed with a sharply concave -or arcuate lower edge E. The loweredge of the spring fingers is so formed in order that each of the spring fingers at said edge engages approx1mately half way that'upon manipulation of the wiping assembly to wipe substantially all the oil from said rod. In order to guide the round rod through bushing 6, Iprovide an additional guide bushing B which is threaded into about the round rod so bushing 6 and through which additional bushing fit. In'order to prevent this form of the wiping assembly from escaping from the lowerend of the ground rod R, such as at I6.

The bushing 8 is tapped at its upper ends as at T,even though the. flat rodis used, so that said bushing is adaptable without, change for either the fiat or roundoil rod;

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a; device as substantially fulfills the objectsof the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the still in practice such ,deviationsfrom such detail may be resorted to as donot forma departure from the spirit ofthe invention, ,as defined by the appended claims. r

in connection with a round oil gauge rod R.

lfbushing" gasket H .are used? as in shown in Fig. 1,.

preferred construction of the device,

I spring fingers, said extensions the rod R slidably engages with a close running end of the rod is enlarged said one end of the Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An oil gauge rod wiper comprising a sleeve adaptedto be slidably mounted on a rod, 9. pair of opposed outwardly bowed spring fingers to engage with the rod at their ends, the upper portion of said fingers projecting into thebore of said sleeve, the upper portion of said bore in the sleeve being enlarged, a guide bushing for the rod threaded into said enlarged portion of the bore, and extensions on the upper ends of the projecting in opposite directions laterally and being clamped between the lower end of the guide bushing and the annular face formed by the bottom of said enlarged portion of the bore.

2..A,device as in claim 1 in which said annular face formed by the bottom of the enlarged portion of the bore slopes inwardly and downwardly; said extensions curving upwardly and outwardly from the adjacentrod engaging ends of said spring fingers, and there being a. compression washer engaged between said extensions and said guide bushing. a i 3. Anoilgauge rod wiper comprising a pair of opposed spring fingers converging toward one end and at said end adapted to engage a rod in wiping relation, a sleeve slidable on the rod and having a bore which at one end clears the rod, the fingers at their other end projecting into bore, and means securing the fingers atv said other end in the sleeve; the sleeve at said one end engaging the fingers intermediate their ends and springing said fingers inwardly. V V e 1 4. An oilgauge rod wiper comprising a sleeve having a bore adapted to receive a rod in clearance relation, a pair ofopposed spring fingers projecting lengthwise of the rod on opposite sides thereof from within the bore, and means mounting the sleeve and fingers together as a unit;

' said fingers'at their outer end and at a, point within the bore converging toward each other and engaging the rod. 

